Clamp



April 21, '1942. D. H. FINKLE CLAM? Filed Jan. '20, 1942 tion in 4a rivet hole.

3-3 of Figure 1.

Patented Apr. .21, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE Donald n. Finkie, Los Angeles, Calif. Application January 2o, 1.942, serial No. 427,435

(ci. :a5-5)V 8 Claims.

This invention relates to a clamp and more particularly to a clamp for insertion through rivet holes inv two or more sheets of metal to clamp firmly said sheets and to coaxially align said holes;

There have been other clamps for thevsame purposes, however; the other clamps require either carefully machined parts to t tightly in the holes, or rely upon spring tension of the aligning members to align the holes. In the smaller size rivet holes the aligning members of the latter class of clamp are very small and they soon lose their tensile strength and become distorted. The class of clamps which have carefully machined parts and which Ado notv rely upon the tensile strength of the aligning members must be insertedV and removed from the rivet holes by twisting sideways, as these clamps all have a projection on one side for engaging the back side of the inner sheet of material. This twisting is objectionable because it often results in dents in the material to be riveted. It is therefore an objectof my invention to produce a clamp for aligning rivet holes which does not have to be accurately machined to fit said holes and which does not rely on the tensile strength of the aligning members.

Another object of this invention is to provide a clamp for aligning rivet holes which can' be inserted or withdrawn by a straight movement and without twisting the clamp.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from the following description `of the preferred embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawing.

Intheydrawing: y Figure 1 is a cross section of my clamp, shown lIn clamping position.

Figure 2 is a cross section in position for inser- Figure 3 is a cross section taken on the line 4Figure 4 is'a plan view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a descriptive diagram showing thev 45 is angle of the finger.

A clamp constructed in accordance with my invention comprises a body I having a central bore 2 and a smaller circular bore 3. Into the bore 2 is inserted a Washer 4. A rod 5 comprises 50 insert is necessary.

one of the hole-aligning members and runs through the bores 2 and 3 and has a ground-off fiat 5 which cooperates with the fiatted iinger 1. The flatted finger 1 is inserted through the body I and is of such size that when resting in the'tlat of rod 5, the finger 1 and rod 5 are of smaller diameter than the rivet holes to be aligned.

To maintain the finger 1 in the body, it is provided with an I extension 8. It should be noted that the bore 3 is of suflicient size to allow the finger 1 to rotate around the point where the extension 8 and the main portion 9 of the finger 1 join with the washer 4 as a bearing point.

A bushing I0 is slidably mounted on the rod 5 and has a shoulder II against which a spring I2 presses. 'I'he bushing IU bears against the ex-4 tension 8 of the finger 1.

To maintain the spring I2 a cap I3 is held on the rod 5 by peening over the extension I4 after passing it through the hole I5.

In the operation of my clamp, a tool such as a pair of pliers is usedto compress the spring I2 by exerting pressure on the cap I3 and the flange I6 on the body I When the spring I2 is compressed, the rod 5 is forced out of the body I and permits the finger 1 to be forced into the ground-off portion of the rod 5 by the pressure of the spring I2 exerted through the bushing I8 on the extension 8, causing a rotation on the washer 4. An important element ofv my invention lies in the discovery that the angle made by serted in the rivet holes 28 in the sheets 2 I and -22 of the material to be clamped. Upon release of the pressure of the pliers the spring I2 draws in the rod 5 and finger 1 rides out on the full section I9, spreading the combined diameter of the rod and nger to one larger than the holes 2U, thus aligning them. The spring I2 exerts tension between the face 23 and a wedge formed by the rod 5 and the ringer 1 to securely clamp the sheets 2| and 22 together.

A feature of my invention that should be noted that when the clamp is extended for insertion through rivet holes as shown in Figure 2, the rod 5 and linger 1 do not have any projections common in the art which prevent a straight insertion into the rivet holes. No twisting or tipping to Also both the rod 5 and finger 1 are made of non-flexible metal and are therefore not worn out or deformed by use, as

is the result ofv other clamps which have flexible fingers or rods. v While I have described the. preferred embodi- 4ment or my invention, l am not umited thereby except as set forth in the appended claims. p

I claim:

1. A clamp for aligning rivet holes in two or more sheets of material comprising a body, a rod longitudinally movable in said body and extending beyond an end thereof, a finger pivotally mounted in and extending through said body beyond said end thereof, the combined diameter of said rod and said finger being less than the diameter of the rivet holes in said sheets, the protruding end of said rod extending beyond the protruding end of said finger and having a projection thereon, tension means for moving said rod longitudinally in said body and normally causing contact between said nger and said projection and clamping said rod and said finger against the walls of said rivet holes.l

2. A clamp for aligning rivet holes in two or more sheets of material comprising a body, a rod longitudinally movable in said body and extending beyond an end thereof, a finger pivotally mounted in and extending through said body beyond said end thereof, the combined diameter of said rod and said finger being less than the diameter of the rivet holes in said Sheets, the protruding end of said rod extending beyond the protruding end of said finger and being of greater cross-sectional size than the remainder of said rod, tension means for moving said rod longitudinally in said body and normally causing contact between the extensions of said rod and finger and clamping action of the protruding ends of said rod and finger against the walls of said rivet holes.

3. In a clamp, a body, a rod longitudinally movable in said body, a finger longitudinally and pivotally mounted in said body and of such size that the combined diameter of said rod and nger are less than the size of rivet holes tovbe aligned, a projection on said rod, tension means for moving said rod longitudinally in said body and normally causing contact between said finger and said projection and clamping said rod rod longitudinally in said body and normally causing contact between said finger and said projection and clamping said rod and said finger against the walls of said rivet holes, said contact between said finger and said projection pivoting said finger and forming a wedge, said wedge and the adjacent face 'of said body forming a clamp for both sides of said sheets. i

5. A clamp for aligning rivet holes in two or more sheets of material comprising a body, a non-flexible rod longitudinally movable in said body and extendingbeyond an end thereof, a

non-fiexible finger pivotally mounted in and extending through said body beyond said end therenon-flexible rod longitudinally movable in said.

body and extending beyond an end thereof, a non-flexible finger pivotally mounted in and extending through said body beyond said end thereof, the combined diameter of said rod and said finger being less than the diameter of the rivet holes in said sheets, the protruding end of said rod extending beyond the protruding end of said finger and having a projection thereon, tension means for moving said rod longitudinally in said body andnormally causing contact between said finger and said projection and clamping said rod and said finger against the walls of said rivet holes, said contact between said finger and said projection pivoting said finger and forming a wedge, said Wedge and the'adjacent face of said body forming a clamp for both` sides of said sheets. l

7. A clamp for aligning rivet holes in two or more sheets of material comprising a body, a rod longitudinally movable in said body and extending beyond an end thereof, a flatted section on said rod, a finger pivotally mounted in and extending through said body beyond said end thereof and having a atted side thereon for cooperating with said fiatted section, the combined diameter of said'rod and said nger being less than the diameter of the rivet holes in said sheets, the protruding end of said rod extending beyond the protruding end of said finger and having a projection thereon, tension means for moving said rod longitudinally in said body and normally causing contact between said finger and said projection and clamping said rod and said finger against the walls of said rivet holes.

8. A clamp for aligning rivet holes in two or more sheets of material comprising a body. a rod longitudinally movable in saidbody and extending beyond an end thereof, a flatted section on said rod, a finger pivotally mounted in and extending through said body beyond said end thereof and having a flatted .side thereon for cooperating with said flatted section, the combined diameter of said rod and said finger being less than the diameter of the rivet holes in said sheets, the protruding end of said rod extending beyond the protruding end of said finger and having a projection thereon, tension means for moving said rod longitudinally in said body and normally causing contact between said finger and said projection and clamping said rod and said finger against the walls of said rivet holes, said contact between said finger and said projection pivoting said finger and forming a wedge, said wedge and the adjacent face of said body forming a clamp for both sides of said sheets.

DONALD H. FINKLE. 

